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Thursday, October 20, 2011

Huntress #1 (of 6)

Paul Levitz & Marcus To

It's been nearly a month since DC's New 52 launched, and the publisher's showing no signs of slowing down. New books such as The Ray have been solicited to add more books to the DC Universe line, and I'm afraid a little mini-series like this one may get overlooked amid all of the exciting ongoing book releases. Especially since it's really pretty good. If this had launched as an ongoing alongside DC's New 52, I feel like it would have been noted as one of the best of the debut issues. But as is, DC fans have their plates full of dozens of books, trying to sort out which to follow and which to pass on, while this may just sneak by unnoticed. But whether it sells or not, Huntress is a good read. Fans of Birds of Prey will be happy to see the capable vigilante established in the new DC Universe as she works to try and stop shipments from making their way to Gotham City. Shipments of guns and women. Huntress tracks the shipments back to their source, in Italy, where she tries to keep a low profile, but that's pretty short-lived as she finds herself in the middle of a kidnapping ring with arms dealers she's trying to shut down. The story is pretty straight-forward really, but full of action and intrigue. The stand-out element here is definitely the art from Marcus To. It's fantastic. The many fight sequences in this title are executed clearly and thoughtfully, with some good-looking battles. And even the scenes where it's just Helena lounging about look stunning. As Paul Levitz is a co-creator of the character, it's nice to see him working with Huntress again, as he obviously knows how to write her in the best possible way.